A couple more pics of my new haircut...

....I had to take a pic of my hair all pulled back and bobby pined because as most of you know-I love bobby pins! ha ha

Locks of Love COMPLETE!

I am so excited to announce that after almost two years of patience growing my hair out I have finally cut it and am on my way to donating it to Locks of Love! This has been a goal of mine for a long time and I have now reached my goal! The awesome and talented hairstylist who gave me my new look is a wonderful teenager on my team at church. She is amazing and took so much time making sure my new style was perfect. Thank you soooo much Amy! "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 You are truly living the life Amy and I am so proud of you!
I've attached some pics of the "haircut" and the new and improved-and perhaps 5 lbs lighter-me :)

Happy Birthday my love!

The oh so respectful age of 28! Happy Birthday to you-Happy Birthday to you-Happy Birthday dear Jo-Nathan!!! Happy Birthday to you! Turning the big 28 on August 28th! This cake was specifically picked out just for you and the many hamburgers you love to eat. Enjoy!

College Textbook Update! Praise the Lord!!

So, thanks to some awesome co-workers and the internet I was able to track down a great company that can supply me with the necessary textbooks for school this year. Total savings: $131.00!!!!! If I would have gone through the college bookstore I would had to pay A TON more so thank you CHEGG.com for allowing me to keep the money in my pocket! Woop Woop Chegg-a, Chegg-a, Chegg-a, Chegg-a, Ca-CHING, Ca-CHING this express money train is leaving the station.....Ca-CHING, Ca-CHING!

August 28th is the date and I can't wait!

10 inches and counting...it is almost time to tackle that goal I had set for 2010 :)
Check out the website to find out more:
http://www.locksoflove.org/

NOTE: There were some scheduling conflicts with the girl cutting my hair so I had to move my appt. back just in case some of you were thinking you imagined the date to say the "21st" a couple days ago and now it says the "28th" ha ha. You are not imagining things! :)

Always the diaper cake maker, never the diaper cake receiver...

....And that's the way I like it right now :)
As you can see in the pictures I make diaper cakes for baby showers to take as the new mom-to-be's gift. Diapers are a practical gift that every new mom needs and there are so many ways to "dress" them up! Kylie's cake was made for a very special mom-to-be who has a sassy yet sophisticated side to her so of course her cake had to have a princess crown and a hot pink boa on it-not to mention she was having a girl and what girl doesn't want to be a princess diva at some point during her lifetime? I am still trying to grow out of that stage :)
The other more subtle yet chic cake was given to a mom who does not know whether she is having a boy or girl (yay! I love surprises!) so I did a gender neutral cake but I added some flowers for decoration since this new mommy-to-be loves to garden.
You can double click on the images to better see the detailing of the cakes but don't look too closely or judge too harshly-I am not a professional!
Congrats new mommies all around me! I am happy to have the opportunity to sow into the lives of your new little ones by simply supplying them (and you) with practical yet oh so cute diapers cleverly disguised as cakes. Enjoy!
PS. A GREAT BIG SHOUT OUT goes to Shawna who made the viewing of these cakes possible. Since I didn't have my camera I had to use my camera phone to take the pics then I sent them to her via a picture message to her phone where she then sent a mobile message and uploaded them to her facebook page and then saved the pics from facebook onto my computer in my pics folder. Ohhh technology how useful and time consuming you are.
NOTE: Shawna also had to endure lots of questions once the diaper cakes ended up on her facebook page from family and friends questioning whether the cakes were for her, in which case, they are not ha ha. Sorry Shawna but love the pics! :)

Sassy co-worker cupcake cake....ohhhh la la!

A fellow co-worker of mine just turned __________ years old. She took her birthday off of work but we surprised her when she came back with a super awesome totally rad like for sure sassy cupcake cake. My co-worker calls it her "sassy black girl" cake. Just in case some of you are stuck on being PC about things....the store also makes them in "sassy white girl" cakes as well. She was soo excited and everyone else is really excited for her...and also because there are now 24 cupcakes that need to be eaten asap! Happy Birthday Yolanda!! :)

rEaDiNg-wRiTiNg-aRiThMeTiC..the cost of textbooks makes me sick!

OKay, so as most of you have already guessed-this post is about the cost of college textbooks. I am heading back to school this semester which is a HUGE blessing and I am so excited to be working towards my teaching degree so that I am able to teach preschoolers :)
HOWEVER, I am in the middle of purchasing my textbooks and I cannot believe the ridiculous cost for each one. By the way, did I mention that two out of my four classes are requiring THREE TEXTBOOKS each?!?! They have this new option out where a student can "rent" their textbooks for the semester. It's a great idea and one that I will probably take advantage of. The "catch" to renting your textbooks is of course you don't get to keep them and they are due on or before a set date at the end of the semester. While I don't have a problem with these two stipulations, I do however, have an issue with the renting price being so high. For example, one of my books (used-never buy new) retails for $102 but to rent the book I still have to pay $61! WHAT??? Yes, I understand this is half the cost BUT I don't get the option to sell it back at the end of the semester AND I am RENTING the book! So, where does this leave me now? Well, I have four classes this semester and will need approx. nine books total for said classes bringing my grand total to almost $400 to RENT my textbooks! AHHHHHHHH :-O
Thank you Lord that you provide for ALL OF MY NEEDS and thank you that I am able to earn an education and although I am not pleased with having to spend A LOT of money on my textbooks-thank you Father that the money is there and I am prepared for my first day of school. In Jesus name, Amen.

NOTE from the Editor...

So........
I, the editor of my own blog, would like to recant a statement previously stated (confused yet?) ha ha
My sister, who recently moved to Asheville North Carolina is not "technically" employed at her new location. She is.........

"Serving the organization and local community as a full-time volunteer aka AmeriCorps VISTA. [She has] joined AmeriCorps and will be doing a year of service in Asheville, NC with Lake Eden Arts Festival."

Thank you for your patience in this matter as we (I) always strive to impart truthful knowledge to all of the tens of people who read our blog. My apologies sis! LOL
Love you! :)

McDonalds?!

Behold! The Golden Arches!

Kalyn's new townhouse and amazing views of her new place of employment...love it!

Sideways Rain, trip to Asheville NC, A New Job and a Fancy McDonalds...OH MY!

Hello everyone!
Two weekends ago my mom asked if I would be willing to take a trip to Asheville, North Carolina with her. My sister, Kalyn, is starting a new job there and needed some items brought to her from Gloucester. My mom and I left Saturday morning around 7am and what was supposed to be a 7 hour trip turned into over 9 hours instead. It rained for 6 out of the 9 hours of the trip. Did I mention it was raining sideways? I haven't seen it rain that hard in a long time! I was driving the majority of the trip while it was raining and we had to pull off to the side of the road several times because we couldn't see anything! Oh, by the way, did I mention we were hauling a brand new mattress and boxsprings on top of the bed of the truck? Thankully it was covered in the plastic wrap along with a tarp (just in case it rains, I remember hearing my mom say) lol.
Needless to say, we got there safe and sound and the mattress and boxsprings suffered no permanent damage and is in perfect sleeping condition-thank you LORD!
Once we arrived in Asheville, Kalyn showed us around town and we had the opportunity to eat at some great places. My sister will be living approx. 10 minutes from the Biltmore Estate......SWEEEEEEEEEET! We ventured down to where the estate was and thought we might be able to catch a glimpse of the estate in all of his beauty however, the only thing we were able to see was the building to buy your tickets-bummer! I think the family is planning to go around Christmas so we should see a lot more then :)
Once we left the estate we came out the exit and BEHOLD a sight so lovely it was calling our name.........McDonalds!!
Some of you may not be impressed BUT I will have you know...this was NO ORDINARY McDonalds. This was the big golden arches of them all! Needless to say, we had to travel inside to see the breath taking beauty of what was awaiting us. Lets just say, I have never been so at peace eating a mcflurry. I found myself drifting away on the mini M&Ms that were swirling to and fro in my vanilla ice cream. The soft peaceful sounds of the baby grand piano playing in the background was merely icing on the cake until the words...."can I get a number 5 super-sized" resonated through my ears over the intercom-bringing me back to reality once more.
Aside from the McDonald's made of gold, Kalyn showed us her new place of employment and I must say that I am a little jealous that she gets to pass by green pastures and lakes while driving up through cascading mountains of foliage. I on the other hand get to pass by interstate signs and construction (that I think has been going on since the 80's) and people politely waving (with one finger) as they speed past Jon and I in our super sonic speed civic. Nonetheless, I am so proud of my sister for taking a leap of faith and moving to a new city and job and following her heart. It's not an easy thing to do-especially when you get comfortable in life, but it is something that is necessary in life. Way to go sis!!
There is so much to do in Asheville and I can't wait to explore the new land some more real soon :)
Love you lots sis!

Jon and I losing to Kalyn and Elliot while playing a giant game of chess.

Took in the beautiful view by going horseback riding around the campgrounds over the mountains and through the woods to....

Made a new turkey friend, played mini-golf and enjoyed some ultimate frisbee in the pool.

Jon and I "pitching" our tent and enjoying the calm life of the outdoors.

Vacation is all I ever wanted-vacation, had to get away-vacation wish it would never end....ohhh yeah!

Last weekend Jon and I went camping with my mom, Dennis, Stephanie, Kalyn, and Elliot(Kalyn's boyfriend). We had such a good time! We went swimming, grilled out for all meals, went horseback riding, played a giant game of chess and had a campfire with s'mores (ohhh sooo good to eat)-did I mention I also had s'mores for breakfast too?? lol
Overall, it was a great weekend and it was nice to hang out with everyone and meet Elliot for the first time and the weather couldn't have been better!
Below you will find some pics from our weekend...did I mention Jon and I slept in a tent? Your eyes are not deceiving you...I did say a TENT! I will admit I had an air mattress (don't judge me) but I still braved the outdoors and all that comes with it-the bugs, the humidity, the non-air conditioned tent, and the bath house with a full shower and potty not even 10 feet away. I guess you could say I sure did have it tough out there! ha ha Oh, before I forget, I must tell you about my "potty" story. Before you get all grossed out-let me explain. In the middle of the night, not sure what time-no clocks-I had to go use the outdoor woods room. I got up, unzipped my tent (we had it closed up so that no critters would get us) and stumbled/walked to the restroom. The restroom was a single stall so I turned on the light and walked into the stall and locked the door (you can never be too sure when you're in the woods what kind of crazy people are around!) Once finished, I proceeded to exit the stall so I unlocked the door and pushed it forward (thinking this was the way to exit said stall). When I pushed open the door it fell completely off of the hinges and hit the concrete floor with a loud THUD several times (it was a large door) before eventually landing flat on the floor and making a huge noise. Well, I stood there (half awake and now in shock of the bathroom door that almost took my life-not a good way to go)and starred at the door for a second waiting for someone to come rushing to the bathroom to see if I was okay. After no emergency response rescue team showed up, I decided to pick this huge door up and place it gently to the side and leaned it against the wall. I then walked out of the bathroom with the expectation that someone would be making the attempt to walk my way to check on me-wrong! I walked outside and all I hear are the sounds of wildlife (laughing at me no doubt). I walk back to my tent and proceed to climb back into my sleeping chambers and find Jon still sleeping. Needless to say, that morning I asked if he heard my "situation" the night before and he said, "yes I did but I prayed and trusted the Lord would protect you and nothing harmful would cross your path, and then I went back to sleep". UGH! Good answer! I am married to a man who truly lives out his faith-so much for the damsel in distress act! lol Thank you Lord for protecting me from a huge bathroom door in the middle of the woods. Oh, and to clarify for all of those "philosophers" out there...when asked the question, "If a tree falls in the middle of the woods and no one is around to hear it, did it make a noise?" The answer is: "If it is anything like a metal hanging bathroom door, then YES!" :)

Casablanca Lillies

Hello to all of the tens of people who read our blog! I have titled this post "casablanca lillies" for a very special reason :) First, they are MY FAVORITE flower in the entire world! I had them in my wedding bouquet with red roses and it looked amazing! .....sorry, I got sidetracked there for a second. The real reason I am focusing on casablanca lillies is because of an awesome way the Lord has worked in the life of my mom. As we all know, I love craigslist and check it frequently. Well, as some of you may or may not have known both my mom and stepdad were laid off and in need of employment. I had been searching for jobs in our area on craigslist for them both when I spotted a listing that I knew would be perfect for my mom. It was a job posting for a nanny position taking care of a newborn little girl. Well needless to say, I called my mom and "strongly" urged her to apply. The Lord is so good and his timing is perfect because the listing had just been posted and it was on a Tuesday morning and that is not a "prime" time to list things on craigslist generally. All this to say, my mom applied, interviewed and she now has the job :) This job is amazing for her and her pay as increased by 50% from the job she was laid off at. PLUS the parents of the little girl like to travel (they are "well off" it seems) and when they go oversees they want my mom to go and all expenses will be paid for her! Sweet deal! The hours are amazing and she is responsible for one precious little girl instead of 10-15 screaming elementary school children. You may be thinking at this point, Praise the Lord He provided the perfect job but...what does this have to do with casablanca lillies? Well, when my mom got the address from the couple to come and meet the family the wife told her that they lived in a brick home on the water and in front of the house were bushes full of casablanca lillies lining the home :) This may not mean a lot to those of you reading this but to me it was a subtle and sweet reminder from my Heavenly Father. He was simply reminding me that not only will He supply all of my needs according to His riches and glory, but those around me as well. His still small voice guided me to look on craigslist that morning before work and call my mom and He took it from there to bless my family with an opportunity far better then anything my mom would have hoped for.
Thank you Lord for always providing for me, Jon and our families! Thank you for your sweet reminder of how you are always listening when I speak to you.....and one more thing... thank you that my mom's new boss grows my favorite flower and she may be able to bring me some home every now and then....Amen.
PS. Did I mention my stepdad also got a new job with great benefits and he and my mom started their new jobs on the same day :) God is sooooooo good!

Simplicity

There is something to be said for really taking time to enjoy the "simple" things in life. It has been a month since the dance showcase and Jon and I are really enjoying the new found time we have together. We are learning to cook dinner at home instead of picking it up and eating it in the car. This has altered our food budget some and so we adjusted as necessary but it has proven to be a positive thing since we constantly have leftovers for the next day :)
On Monday I was able to enjoy a movie at our small town theatre on Main street with my sister, Kalyn, who is home. Monday night is "girl's night" and it's $7 for the movie, a drink and either popcorn or candy. Of course, I ALWAYS opt for the candy and splurge with my raisenettes! It was such an awesome time to just relax and hang out while watching Toy Story 3 (great movie by the way).
It's in these times that I find I am so grateful for the things I have in my life.
For the longest time, I found it difficult to just "be still". I thought I ALWAYS had to be doing something or running somewhere. If I slowed down then I was wasting time when I should be "productive". The truth is, the Lord has shown me that in the midst of doing things for myself, work, my family and even for Him with our church it is easy to get so "busy" that I miss out on Him trying to speak to me. I would wonder why I wasn't seeing God's blessings in my life, until one day I realized...I had never stopped long enough to look around and take notice if in fact the blessings were happening. Well, as soon as I did, it was obvious! The Lord is always blessing us! Unfortunately, we never stop long enough to take notice.
Blessings come in many forms and for me-they are usually in small moments that can easily be overlooked. My many blessings for this month have been, eating dinner with my husband at home, going to the movies with my sister on a Monday night, sitting on my front porch without a thought in my head but simply breathing in and out for more than 5 minutes, laughing at a story a friend of mine sends me regarding her adventures with offering the mailman a bottle of water (so funny and much appreciate-you know who you are) and hearing from the Lord louder than ever and understanding more clearly his Love for me and the many ways he shows me. Simplicity is sometimes the best answer for life's many problems. It is in these times that the Lord reveals Himself to us, but not because He was holding back before-but simply because we never took the time to simplify.
May your days be... simple. The end.

Kiddos...

Many people have asked and wondered when Jon and I will have children. Well, to answer all of your questions........WHEN WE ARE READY :) ha ha
Anyway, I love watching this video because I sometimes think it is a glimpse into Jon and I's future if we have a little girl one day. As you all know, I am very shy, quiet and reserved. I don't like to talk much and it's difficult to carry on a conversation with me. STOP LAUGHING! Alright, alright, so maybe I am the complete opposite of those things but nonetheless I think if/when we have a girl she will be something like the one in this video.......... lol :) TOO FUNNY! hahahahahahahahaha